Alonzo m



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A. 1v1. OSMUN. tj MOISTBNER-FOR BNVBLOPBS, STAMP@ sw.

No. 55o,76s. Patented Dec. s, 1895.

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AN Dm BGRAMAM. PHOTO-LITHO- WASHINGTON. D-C` VNirnn .STATES i PATENT Oriucno ALONZO M. OSMUN, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

IVIOISWTENER FOR ENVELOPES, STAIVIPS,V&.C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,763, dated December 3, 1895. Applieationledll/Iay 22, 1895. Serial No. 550,255. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO M, OsMUN, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moisteners for Envelopes, Stamps, &c. 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to moisteners for envelopes, postage-stamps, dac., and has for its object to provide a device of this nature which may be carried about the person and may hold a sufficient quantity of liquid to enable a number of operations.

A further object is to provide such construction as will insure a ready iiow of liquid and will prevent evaporation when the device is not in use and will not be liable to gumming at the moistening end.

. Referring to the drawings forming a portion of my specication, and in which like symbols of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a longitudinal section of the device with the cover in place, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the com* plete device with the cover removed.

In the drawings, 5 is a tube or vessel of suitable diameter and length and adapted to receive water or other suitable moistening liquid. One end of the tube 5 is flared outwardly to make continuous contact with the inner walls of a surrounding casing 6, separated therefrom by an annular chamber. This casing is closed at the rear end and is provided with a perforation 7 near the front end directly in the rear of the line of contact between the casing and the tube 5. A perforation 8 is formed in the rear end of the tube 5, which said end is otherwise closed. It will thus be seen that a direct passage is provided from the perforation 7 through the space between the tube 5 and casing 6, through the perforation 8, and into the said tube.

A hollow plug 9 is fitted into the end of the casing 6 and against the end of the tube 5 and is provided with absorptive material extending from its inner end to a point without its outer end. In the preferred construction this absorptive material consists of a piece of flannel or other suitable fabric l0, having inclosed in its outer end a small piece of sponge l1, the flannel being drawn rearwardly through the tube until the lump formed by the sponge is drawn slightly into the outer end, whereby it may be held rigidly in place.

If preferred, a iilling of felt, wool, or cotton, or anyl other absorptive material may be placed within the inner end of the fabric 10, although in practice it is found that the bunching of the said fabric almost completely, if not entirely, fills up the inner end of the plug. r

If desired, the fabric above mentioned may be omitted and instead simply a piece of sponge Afilled into the tube with one end extending therefrom to make contact of the envelope or other article being treated.` The objection to this, however, is that a very iine quality of sponge is necessary, which makes the construction more expensive, and, moreover, the supplemental reservoir action is not present, which said action is fully explained hereinafter.

A cap l2 is adapted to fit over the outer end of the casing 6, which cap extends beyond the perforation 7 to prevent evaporation of the dampening fluid which is placed in the tube 5.

The operation of the device is as follows: The cover 12 being removed, the device is held with the plug end downward, when air entering the tube 5 by way of the perforations 7 and 8 and the chamber between the tube and casing the liquid will fall in the tube and, coming in contact with the absorbent material in the plug 9, will pass through it and into the sponge 1l, which, acting as a reservoir, will give up the moisture to the stamp or envelope whenthe device is pressed against the latter.

I find that in the employment of `the fiannel covering and the interior sponge the latter will take up the liquid and when pressed will give it out freely, which will not result where the flannel is used alone or where a core is employed that has not the requisite absorptability.

It is obvious that I may vary the particular arrangement of the elements of my de- IOO vice or the forms` thereof Without departing in any manner from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A device of the class described, comprising a liquid-holding vessel, an absorptive material adapted to convey liquid from said vessel, a casing surrounding the vessel and separated therefrom by interspace, an opening between the vessel and interspace, and an opening leading from the interspace outwardly.

2. Adevice of the class described, compris?- ing a liquid-holding-vessel, absorptive material adapted to conduct liquid therefrom, ta casing for said vessel separated therefrom by interspace, a perforation leading from the vessel to said interspace, a second perforation leading from the interspace outwardly, and a capv adapted to. extend over the latter perfo- I ration.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a liquid-holding vessel having` a plug therein, an absorptive material in said plug arranged to be wetted by a liquid in the said vessel, said absorptive material protruding from the outer end of the plug and inclosing Within its protruding end a compressible body which Will hold a liquid and give it up when compressed.

4. In a device of the class described, a plug having absorptive material therein and protruding therefrom, the protruding portion of said materialinclosing a compressible body Which will hold a liquid and will give it up when compressed.

5'. A device of the classA described, comprisy ing a liquid-holdingvessel, a plug having absorptive material therein entering the vessel and adapted to make contact exteriorly thereof, and a compressible body which will hold a liquid and give it upr when compressed, arh ranged within the` absorptive material.`

In testimony whereof" I affix my signature in presence of'tWo witnesses.

ALONZO. M. OS'MUN. IVitnesses LIDA` OsMUN, F. S. ZINN. 

